Jet Grind Radio (handheld game)

"Jet Set Radio" ("Jet Grind Radio " in North America) is a video game for the Game Boy Advance system, which is based on the Dreamcast title "of the same name". It was released in 2001 shortly after Sega discontinued its Dreamcast system and became a third party publisher. The three main levels (Kogane Cho, Benten Cho and Shibuya Cho) from the original "are recreated in this version from an isometric view point". The Game Boy Advance version was developed by Vicarious Visions instead of Smilebit.

Plot

Like in the Dreamcast version, the player assumes the role of the GGs, a graffiti gang, led by Beat (who is also the first playable character in all versions apart from "Jet Set Radio Future" where you must defeat him in a race). The Rokkaku group and the Tokyo-to construction conglomerate have teamed up to clamp down on the "rudies" the games term for the Graffiti spraying teenagers. The object of the game is to "Tag" certain surroundings before the time limit runs out or "before the indomitable array of cops arrive".

oundtrack

Not all tracks from the Dreamcast version are present. One main difference is that the tracks do not change over meaning that a track select option has been implemented. The Tracks are also shorter as "That's Enough" is 35 seconds long in the GBA version as opposed to its original 4:25. All tracks by Hideki Naganuma (except for "Everybody Jump Around" by Richard Jacques).

*"Humming the Bassline" 0:32
*"Let Mom Sleep" 0:42
*"Sneakman" 0:40
*"That's Enough" 0:35
*"Sweet Soul Brother" 0:30
*"Everybody Jump Around" 1:00

Reception

IGN gave the game 8.6 out of ten noticeably 1.0 points less than the original. Official Nintendo magazine gave it 76% praising the game for "being faithful to the original". The game has often been criticised for the loss of Grind Square and Bantam street as in this version they are "Fused" together and are not selectable in the Jet Graffiti mode like in the PAL version.

References